Portable, laptop or notebook computers are well known in the art. The portable computer's use and commonality has increased dramatically in today's society, as their size and weight allow individuals to carry with relative ease a computer and its vast amounts of stored information. Portable computers and the large capacity of their hard disk drives allow their users to avoid carrying one or more floppy disks with them to another location, risking the possibilities of loss or damage to the disks during transportation, that the second computer does not have the correct or adequate software to retrieve the information from the disk, as well as potential spread of computer viruses.
The capabilities and programs of the personal computer in today's workplace enable their users to perform a wide variety of tasks. Accordingly some users rely on their portable computers for everyday activities ranging from the simple to the complex. To some, personal computers have led to a nearly paperless work environment, including replacing such mundane tasks as taking notes by pen and paper with their portable personal computers. These reliances have created and then necessitated the advancement and/or improvement of the portable or laptop computer.
With this advancement, the number of accessories available for portable computers is also increasing rapidly. Two main concerns with the transportation of portable computers are their weight and ease or convenience of transport. Although the two concerns are interrelated, ease of transportation also includes factors such as does it have its own means for carrying, for example a self-contained handle, or does the computer require a carrying case?
The marketplace provides several models of computer cases designed to protect the computer during transit and which provide a handle or shoulder strap to carry the bag. However, these cases often are bulky and require the user first to remove plugs and cords from the computer, secure it properly within the case, and finally to close the case before transporting. This disassembly and securing in a carrying case is inconvenient and if not accomplished for each move of the computer, the risk increases that the computer may dropped if the user attempts to carry other items in his hands simultaneously.
Although other portable computers have built-in handles, those usually extend from the back of the computer or from a battery that extends across the back of the computer. In both of these instances, the handle is usually large and bulky, adds more weight than is necessary, is permanently attached or not easily removable, and/or may interfere with docking station use. In the ever advancing technological state, computer manufacturers are not only reducing the size and weight of the computers but also the size and weight of the batteries. New device bay designs allow insertion within the computer housing through side or device bays and are no longer restricted to the back of the computer. Current designs of a portable computer commonly omits a carry handle. This leaves the user without a handle by which to carry the computer, resulting in either the need for a portable computer carrying case or in the user using or devoting at least one and possibly both hands to carry the computer, thereby reducing or eliminating their ability to carry papers, files or other objects. The user of one of these portable computers without handles finds it almost necessary to use a carrying case especially if other items need to carried at the same time.
Prior art also reveals handles in relation to disk drives on portable computers. However, these handles are used to pull/insert disk drive drawers into and out of device bays in the computer housing.